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A father ora son, a brother or 4 teacher should say,—this is what is meritorious, this is the practice which ‘must be observed till the end is attained. It has been said that alms are meritorious, but there is no gift and no charity so meritorious as the gift of religion, the imparting of religion. Hence a friend, a relation, a companion should give such counsel,—im such and such circumstances this should be done, this is meritorious, Convinced e 12 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. that such conduct Jeads to heaven, one should follow it with zeal as the way which leads to heaven. EDICT xX. The King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, does not deem any kind of glory and renown to be perfect except this, vzz., thatin the present and in the future my people practise obedience to my religion and perform the duties of my religion! That is the glory and the renown which the King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, seeks. All the efforts of the King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, are for the fruits obtainable in the future life, and for escaping mortal life. For mortal lifeis evil, But it is difficult to attain this end both for the small and the great, except by a determined effort to detach themselves from all objects. It is assuredly a difficult task, spe- cially for the great, to perform this, EDICT XI. Thus spake King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods. There is no gift com- parable with the gift of religion, the intimacy of religion, the charity of religion, the relationship of religion. This should be observed,—regard towards slaves and servants, obedience to father and mother, charity to- wards friends, companions, relations, Srdmans and Brahmans, and respect for the life of living creatures. A. father or a son or a brother, a friend, @ companion, or even a neighbour, should say,—this is meritorious, this should be done. In striving thus, he derives a gain in this world and in _ the life to come ; infinite merit results from the gift of religion. EDICT XIL The King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, honors all sects, both ascetics and householders; he propitiates them by alms and by other gifts. But _ the beloved of the gods attaches less importance to such gifts and honors -than to the endeavour to promote their essential moral virtues, It is true, the prevalence of essential virtues differs in different sects. But there is a common basis, and that Is gentleness and moderation in language. Thus one should not-exalt one’s own sect and decry the others ; one should not depreciate them without cause, but should render them on every occa: CHAP. 1] ~~ ASOKA AND HIS EDICTS. 13 sion the honour which they deserve, Striving thus, one promotes the welfare of his own sect while serving the others. Striving otherwise, one does not serve his own sect, and does disservice to others. And whoever from attachment to his own sect, and with a view to promote it, exalts it and decries others, only deals rude blows te his own sect! Hence con- cord alone is meritorions, so that all bear and love to bear the beliefs of each other. Itis the desire af the beloved of the gods that all secty should be instructed, and should profess pure doctrines. All people, whatever - their faith may be, should say that the beloved of the gods attaches less importance to gifts and to extetnat observances, than to the desire to pro- mote essential moral doctrines and mutual respect forall sects. It is with this abject that the ministers of religion, the officers in charge of females, the inspectors, and other bodies of officers, all work. The result of this is the promotion of my: own faith, and its advancement in the light of. religion, ; EDICT XIIi Vast is the kingdom of Kalinga conquered by King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods. Hundreds of thousands of creatures have been reduced to slavery, a hundred thousand have been killed. Since the conquest of Kalinga, the king, beloved of the gods, has turned towards religion, has been devoted to religion, has conceived a zeal for religion, and has appli- ed himself to the diffusion of religion,—so great was the regret which the beloved of the gods felt at the conquest of Kalinga. In conquering the country which was not subject to me 1, beloved of the gods, have deeply felt and sorrowed for the murders, the deaths, and the reducing of the native inhabitants to slavery. Bat this is what the beloved of the gods hasfelt and sorrowed for more keenly. Everywhere dwell Brahmaus or Srdmans, ascetics or householders ; and among such men are witnessed respect to authorities, obedience to fathets and mothers, affection towards friends, companions and relations, regard for servants and fidelity in affections. Such men are exposed to’ violence and to death, and to separation from those who are dear to them. And even when by special protection they themselves escape personal ‘harm, their friends, acquaintances, compa- nions and relations are ruined ; and thus they too have to suffer, All 14 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. violence of this kind is keenly felt and regreted by me, beloved of the gods. There is no country where bodies of men like the Brahmans and Sramans are not known, and there is no spot in any country where men do not profess the religion of some sect or other. It is because so many men have been drowned, ruined, killed and reduced to slavery in Kalinga that the beloved of the gods feels this today a thousand times more keenly. * * * * * The beloved of the gods ardently desires security for all creatures, respect for life, peace and kindliness in behaviour. This is what the beloved of the gods considers asthe conquests of religion, It is in these conquests of religion that the beloved of the gods takes pleasure, both in his empire and in all its frontiers with an extent of many hundred Yojanas. Among his (neighbours), Antiochus, king of the Yavanas, and beyond Antiochus, four kings, Ptolemy, Antigonas, Magas, and Alexander; to the south, among the Cholas, Pandyas, as far as Tambapanni, and also the Henaradja Vismavasi; among the Greeks and the Kambojas, the Nabhakas and the Nabhapantis, the Bhojas, and the Petenikas, the Andhras, and the Pulindas ;—everywhere they conform to the religious instructions of the beloved of the gods. There where the messengers of the beloved of the gods have been sent, there the people heard the duties of the religion preached on the part of the beloved of the gods, and conform and will conform to the religion and religious instructions. * * Thus the conquest is extended on all sides. I have felt an intense joy,— -.,such is the happiness which the conquests of religion procure! But to speak the truth, this joy is a secondary matter; the beloved of the “gods attaches great value only to the fruits which are assured in a future ‘life. It is with this object that this religious inscription has been engrav- ed, in order that our sons and grandsons may not think that a new conquest is necessary; that they may not think that conquest by the sword deserves the name of conquest ; that they may see in it nothing but destruction and violence; that they may consider nothing as true conquest save the canquest of religion! Such conquests have value in this world and in the next ; may they derive pleasure only from religion, for that has its value in this world and in the next, CHAP. 1.} ASOKA AND HIS. EDICTS. 15 EDICT XIV. This Edict is engraved by King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods. It is partly brief, partly of orcinary-extent, and partly amplified, All isnot connected yet, for my empire is vast, and I have cattsed much to be engraved, and will yet cause mote to be engraved, Some precepts have been repeated because I attach parffcular importance to their being followed by the people, There may be faults in the copy,—be it that a passage has been truncated, or that the sense has been misunderstood. All this has been engraved by the engraver. Such are the famous Fourteen Edicts of Asoka by which he (1) prohibited the slaughter of animals ; (2) provided medical aid for men and animals; (3) enjoined a quinquennial religious celebration ; (4) made an announcement of religious grace; (5) appointed ministers of religion and missionaries ; (6) appointed moral instructors to take cognizance of the con- duct of people in their social and domestic life ; (7) proclaimed universal religious toleration; (8) re- commended pious enjoyment in preference to the carnal amusements of previous times; (9) expatiated on the merit of imparting religious instruction and moral advice ; (10) extolled true heroism and glory founded on spreading true religion ; (11) upheld the imparting of religious instruction as the best of all kinds of charity ; (12) proclaimed his wish to convert all unbe- lievers on the principles of universal toleration and moral persausion ; (13) mentioned the conquest of Kalinga and the names of five Greek kings, to whose king- doms as well as to kingdoms in India missionaries 16 BUDDHIST PERIOD, [BOOK IV. had been sent ; and lastly, (4) summed up the foregoing with some remarks on the engraving of the Edicts. From a historical point of view the second Edict is important as containing the names of Hindu kingdoms and_of Antiochus of Syria; the fifth Edict also con- tains similar allusions ; and the thirteenth Edict alludes to the conquest of Kalinga which first brought southern Bengal and Orissa into close political relations with Magadha and Northern India. The same Edict names five Greek kings, and the original text containing these names deserves to be quoted. “ANTIYOKA nama Yona Raja, pavam cha tena Anti- yokena chatura Rajani, TURAMAYE nama, ANTIKINA nama, MAKA nanta, ALIKASANDARE nama.